Senate Passes Military Spending Bill, But Veto Looms

In a move that could set the stage for a major battle over the 2016 National Defense Authorization Act, the Senate has voted 70-27 in favor of the resolution, giving them a veto-proof majority as 20 Democrats backed the bill, while 2 Republicans, Sens. Rand Paul (R – KY) and Ted Cruz (R – TX), opposed it.

The question then becomes whether President Obama makes good on his veto threats, or whether Republican leaders have successfully “called his bluff.” Previous threats to veto previous years’ military spending bills have come and gone without the president following through, though in those cases minor language changes were able to be spun as “compromises” and no such compromise exists in this case.